Gear and equipment forum

So i leave for SEA in a month and have put no thought into buying clothing to take with me... I will be in BKK for at least a week and figured id hit the markets and shed any UK western clothing anyway!

maybe a pair of socks or two. but even those are fairly easy to buy in thailand now. i've also seen people be very pleased with those travel-style pants that zip off at the knee to convert into a pair of shorts. they are lightweight, meaning they don't take up much space in your pack and are easy to clean - quick to dry.

make sure you buy a hat once you get to bangkok too. have a great time.

Trousers- well cotton is best for the heat and cargo pants with lots of pockets for your wallet, phone etc as you spend most of the time in a tee-shirt with no other pockets.
Bum bags or fanny packs as the Americans call them are a fashion faux pas. ;-)
As an aside do the Americans know what fanny is to the Brits?
Maybe Madmac can answer.

Found shoes/sandals are not good quality in SE Asia with perhaps the exception of Vietnam where they sell good leather products.
As regards dark teeshirts; don't be tempted to wear more than one day because the dirt doesn't show. They will soon smell pretty rank.
Madmac:
Fookin tells me this guy was from the North of England. They have a strong accent.
On the subject of American/ English. When I say I fancy a brew at 6 am all Americans think I'm an alcoholic whereas in UK it means tea not booze.

I always bring a pair of jeans and a fleece for if I find myself in the hills and it is chilly. I've never really had a problem wearing jeans around and you'll see a lot of people in the hotter areas wearing them during the day anyway -- and they can stay clean for a long spell . . . or seem clean with a few good wacks on the porch railing. I'm imagining with 6 months you're going to end up in places like Paksong or Sapa and you'll be happy to have them.

i'm afraid i agree with casey on this one. jeans have come in really handy in the hills or wandering around at night. same with the fleece. plus, so many times buses and trains are air-conditioned to the "meat locker" setting that i'm glad to have something a little more substantial to wear. jeans tend to hold up more to heavy use too, and have a better chance of lasting the full six months. besides, they aren't expensive either, so if it turns out the OP doesn't need them, he can always just drop them off someone for someone else to use. ta.

My medium pullover is a fleece - windproof with several pockets with zippers :)

My newest toy is a waterproof/shockproof camera, also bringing a dry bag this time as I'll be around water most of the time. I bring a snorkel mask to save on rental costs and know I at least I have one that works. A neck pillow, silk sleeping bag liner & quick dry towel.

One thing I'm bringing is sunblock, as that's expensive everywhere and really cuts into your daily budget if you buy it there.

The pockets are too tight, my 3/4 pants have side pockets on the lower legs w/ zippers and are excellent for a note pad, a small camera, my glasses. I just don't like jeans - lol - I don't find them comfortable at all for travelling. I think army style pants are way more practical.

Well Camis are light weight, wear easy (not durable though), and have lots of pockets. That is all true. I like them too. But I like Jeans as well. I don't carry a lot of crap in my pockets so that's less of an issue for me. Camera's, etc go in my pack.

You're list looks quite similar to what I had for 6 months in Asia. I had only quick-dry moisture wicking stuff so that I could wash it easily. I also brought 2 pairs of zip-off pants. That way you can wear them as shorts during the day and as pants for a nice evening or a cool day. Plus, if you are hitting up some temples where you need pants, you can just throw the pant legs in your day bag and zip them on before going in.

That stuff was enough to get me through southeast Asia and a cold spell in the Chinese mountains, Mongolia, and Siberia.

If you take jeans, you'll be have to pay to get them dried every time you wash them. They will also be heavy in your bag. Very bad idea in my opinion.

OK jeans are fine I suppose in the cool season though with two tight pockets I wonder where you keep your phone, wallet, keys and maybe passport if you are travelling. The problem with jeans, other than the lack of storage is using them in the wet season. Some of you guys live in S.E. Asia so you must have the perennial drying problem.The mould gets in thick clothes before they have a chance to dry so they stink.

Where are you from in Thailand Madmac? I've read lots of your opinions and it would be good to put a hometown to a name! Im travelling north from Thailand in about a month, id pop by for a beer if you were nearby.

Madmac
I used to hang stuff in a covered area too but the air was so damp the clothes took an age to dry and usually smelt bad.
As far as not carrying much. When you are travelling it's really nice to have lots of zipped pockets so your passport,wallet etc are safe and no temptation to the local scalliwags.

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